Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are a source of biological material for molecular studies; several methods to extract DNA from FFPE tissues have been reported. This process is challenging because of formaldehyde-induced cross-linking between proteins and DNA as well as molecule fragmentation when unbuffered formalin is used for fixation. Here, 2 methods for DNA extraction from FFPE tissues, based on a chelating resin and silica membrane columns, were modified and compared in their capacity to detect human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in congenital infections. Both methods were tested on 121 samples of brain, lung, spleen, and liver derived from 36 deceased preterm newborns. Twelve patients were selected, and UL55 and UL75 HCMV genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction in 16/36 samples. These 2 methods represent a useful tool for DNA recovery from FFPE tissues and HCMV molecular identification with the advantage of low cost, minimal steps, minimal sample use, being solvent-free, and being easy to implement in the laboratory.The presence of ammonium ion in rainwater is due to atmospheric processes which involve its scavenging from gas phase and particulate matter. The fractionated samplings of rainwater can provide information about these processes and their potential sources. However, only a low sample volume may be available, which constrained the analysis in general and more particularly in situ mode. For minimizing this limitation, this work proposes a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-salicylate sensor that produces a color change. The embedding of solid reagents into PDMS was optimized. Good analytical characteristics (analysis time of 10 min, sample volume of 500 μL, limit of detection 0.03 μgmL-1) were obtained. Furthermore, other features of the method such as carbon footprint, equipment cost, residues, toxicity and safety have to be taken into account to be assessed according to the Green Analytical Chemistry approach. In this sense, the hexagon tool was employed for comparing the proposed sensor with methods based on the same reaction as well as with general methods for the ammonium analysis in water (using luminol, ion selective electrode, Nessler and modified Roth method). The proposed method based on PDMS-salicylate sensor stands out from all the others by its sustainability, particularly, in terms of low carbon footprint, residues and cost. The method was applied to fractionated samplings in a suburban site (Galicia, Northwestern Spain) and a higher contribution of the rainout process was observed. When long-duration rain events were analyzed, a relationship between the sampling time and ammonium concentration could indicate a loss of ammonium ion over time. The research focuses on developing an innovative PDMS-sensor, for monitoring ammonium determination in rainwater under wide conditions (scavenging process).Thermo-chemical processes for converting plastic wastes into useful materials are considered promising technologies to mitigate the environmental pollution caused by plastic wastes. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic wastes were used to develop cost-effective and value-added porous carbons; the developed porous carbons were subsequently tested for capturing CF4, a greenhouse gas with a high global-warming potential. The activation temperature was varied from 600 °C to 1000 °C and the mass ratio of KOH/carbon ranged from 1 to 3 in the preparation process and their effects on the textural properties and CF4-capture performance of the PET plastic waste-derived porous carbons were investigated. The CF4-adsorption uptake was dictated by the specific surface area and pore volume of narrow micropores less than 0.9 nm in diameter. PET-K(2)700, which was developed by KOH activation at 700 °C and KOH/carbon mass ratio of 2, showed the highest CF4-adsorption uptake of 2.43 mmol g-1 at 25 °C and 1 atm. Also, the CF4-adsorption data were fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo second-order kinetic model. The PET plastic waste-derived porous carbons exhibited a high CF4 uptake, good CF4/N2 selectivity at relatively low CF4 pressures, easy regeneration, rapid adsorption/desorption kinetics, and excellent recyclability, which are promising for practical CF4-capture applications.Solid waste management assessment methods that simultaneously analyze the economic, social and environmental dimensions are limited. Tools are rarely applied in developing countries because of several constraints encountered during their implementation (e.g. lack of data availability and difficulties concerning data interpretation), consequently hampering the development of sustainable solid waste management practices. In addition, the incorporation of stakeholders in most decision-making tools and processes, as well as the availability of credible data in developing countries is often limited. To address these issues, this paper presents one of the first large scale studies, utilizing a tool, named Integrated Assessment Scheme (IAS). Use of IAS provides a holistic, integrated approach evaluating the economic, environmental and social dimensions in order to support the decision making process and to facilitate more sustainable waste management in low and middle-income countries. The use of IAS in the two case studies from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Mozambique suggests its suitability to communities in similar contexts. However, its limitations are also discussed.It is a fact that plastic packages are widely used over the world. This large-scale consumption has resulted in a decrease of the initial resources used to manufacture the packages and has made it more of a challenge to dispose the increased amount of solid plastic wastes. https://www.selleckchem.com/GSK-3.html Plastic waste is one of the most significant types of waste materials in the world, owing to its non-degradation and low biodegradability. The presence of large quantities of plastic waste has led to a number of environmental problems. Various researches have already been conducted to find a safe and environmentally friendly solution for the disposal of plastic wastes. Recently, different types of plastic have been incorporated into concrete mixtures because of its long service life and lower weight in order to eliminate or reduce environmental problems. This paper presents an overview of previously published research papers, which is investigating the use of different types of plastic wastes in concrete mixtures. In addition, a global view is summarized regarding the effects of plastic waste on fresh, mechanical, thermal, and acoustical properties of concrete.